Submerged combustion apparatus embodying a shallow, closed, rectilinear tank and upstanding liquid separation chamber at one end thereof

Claim 1

SUBMERGED COMBUSTION APPARATUS COMPRISING AN EXTENDED, HORIZONTAL, CLOSED, RECTILINEAR TANK HAVING A LENGTH WHICH IS MUCH GREATER THAN ITS DEPTH AND ADAPTED TO HOLD A LIQUID TO BE HEATED THEREIN, THE TOP WALL OF SAID TANK CONSTITUTING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLATE HAVING A LENGTH WHICH IS ALSO MUCH GREATER THAN SAID DEPTH AND COVERING ALL BUT ONE END OF SAID RECTILINEAR TANK, WALL MEANS ON SAID TANK LOCATED AT SAID ONE END OF SAID TANK DEFINING A CLOSED, RECTILINEAR, UPSTANDING LIQUID-SEPARATION CHAMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID END OF SAID TANK THE FULL WIDTH OF SAID END, PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID TANK AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID TANK, MEANS FOR VENTING COMBUSTION GASES AND VAPOR FROM SAID LIQUID-SEPARATION CHAMBER, A COMBUSTION BURNER MOUNTED ON SAID TANK WITH THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER EXTENDING INTO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID TANK, HOLLOW ARM MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID TANK ALONG THE BOTTOM THEREOF, AND A PLURALITY OF GAS DISCHARGE ORIFICES IN SAID HOLLOW ARM MEANS THROUGH WHICH HOT COMBUSTION GASES ARE ADAPTED TO BE DISCHARGED BENEATH THE SURFACE OF A LIQUID IN SAID TANK, WHEREBY THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID TANK CONSTITUTES AN EXTENSION OF SAID LIQUIDSEPARATION CHAMBER AND FORMS THEREWITH AN EXTENDED PATH FOR THE RELEASE OF ENTRAINED LIQUID IN THE GASES AND VAPORS BEFORE SAID GASES AND VAPORS ARE DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID MEANS FOR VENTING THE GASES AND VAPORS.